Audra McDonald, who grew up in Fresno and started her theater career on local stages, is setting the stage for a career that could eventually require a Broadway theater to be named for her.

NEW YORK — – In her fabulous orange and cream-colored dress, still remaining humble about her sixth Tony award, Audra McDonald was interviewed by television reporters at a party at The Plaza hotel.

“I just had a nervous breakdown,” she told a television reporter, referring to her teary acceptance speech Sunday at The American Theater Wing’s 68th annual award ceremony at Radio City Music Hall.

Just weeks after a luminous appearance in Visalia, she was center stage at America’s most prestigious theater ceremony. At only age 43, McDonald, who grew up in Fresno and started her theater career on local stages, is setting the stage for a career that could eventually require a Broadway theater to be named for her. For now, she will continue her role as Billie Holiday in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” along with other projects.

“It is just such a privilege to be part of this community,” she genuinely told me. She then quickly plowed through the crowd toward a private party.

One hears the word “community” repeatedly at the Tony Awards, especially from the artists. Although there is brutal competition among producers for theater space, and although Hollywood and Broadway exchange actors and projects often, there is a difference. On Broadway, there are eight shows a week for a typical production. No retakes. No cuts. Just raw emotion and talent.

That is the thrill of live theater. We listen, we learn, and we enrich, no matter what challenges we must overcome when the curtain comes down. Some see theater as an escape, and that is fair. Others see that red velvet as a mirror.

In this past season, there was much at which to look. Tyne Daly, in “Mothers and Sons,” forcefully interpreted Terrence McNally’s new script about a mother’s long-postponed reconciliation with “the summer cough” — AIDS — and her refusal to accept that her son was gay.

Although Daly was my favorite, the five women nominated for leading actress in a play all deserved the honor. Tough choice.

“All The Way,” an excellent portrayal of President Johnson’s push for civil rights won for best play. Consider the similarities: this play recounts the beginning of the march for equality, and “Mothers and Sons” reflects the modern movement for equal marriage that I wholeheartedly support as a gay man.

As for the recipient of best musical, I am probably the only patron on the planet who did not enjoy “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” the senseless spectacle of — I lost count —17 redundant murders to propel a self-serving distant heir to a throne.

Thankfully, instead of the talented but underused leading man of “Guide,” Neil Patrick Harris was honored as best actor in a musical, for his amazing leadership in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”

On the family side, Disney’s “Aladdin” is a treasure. It is another huge hit from a company that once was scorned by the Broadway elite. They found Disney too commercial in nature, but this year’s telecast took the unprecedented step of featuring songs from upcoming shows, performed by singers who will not appear in the productions. Times change.

Reinvented versions of “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Les Miserables” are being touted but I couldn’t recognize the difference between the original mountings.

Back to the Tonys: One must remember that, more than ever, the awards serve as a marketing tool. There is a suspicion that the voters — producers, directors and venue owners — look for something to sell nationally. Not to disparage today’s cast, but anyone can do “Gentleman.” All that is needed is hyperactivity. With limited exceptions, I doubt a dozen simultaneous productions could equal Harris’ involvement in the role.

Back to Visalia: It is completely possible to enjoy experiences and exhibits without traveling 2,875 miles to New York. Keep your eyes and ears open to opportunities for local concerts, plays, COS productions and art exhibits. Imagination fuels creativity and energy. And that, like the Tony Awards, contributes to possibilities. McDonald is a Valley treasure. The next one, perhaps your child or grandchild, could be standing on that stage crying with joy some day.

Theater, when live, is life.

Steve Griffiths is a member of the Visalia Arts Consortium. He has attended more than 1,200 performances on Broadway since 1984, and this year marked his 25th attendance at the annual Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards.